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Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)CENTINELNCT07265271

Project for Multi-Omics-Based Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (PROMETHEA Study)

An observational study of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), run by City of Hope Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, and early detection is critical for improving patient outcomes. Despite this, reliable non-invasive biomarkers for early-stage HCC are limited. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
What is being tested?
Small RNA sequence and Rt-qPCR
How many people
600 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
15 Jan 2025to 18 Jun 2028
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Individuals who were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma. Individuals who were diagnosed with chronic liver disease Healthy donors

Who may be able to join

  • Adults aged 18 to 100 years.
  • A histologically confirmed diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • A clinically diagnosed as chronic liver disease, including chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis, without evidence of hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • Healthy volunteers without known liver disease or malignancy.
  • Received standard diagnostic and staging procedures as per local guidelines
  • Availability of blood or other biospecimens.
  • Ability to provide written informed consent.

Who cannot join

  • Lack of or inability to provide informed consent
  • History of other active malignancies within the past 5 years
  • Previous liver transplantation
  • Severe systemic infection or inflammatory disease at the time of enrollment
  • Inadequate sample quality or quantity

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Goel Ajay, PhD contact

626-218-3452

ajgoel@coh.org

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • City of Hope Medical Center

    Duarte, California, 91016

    Ajay Goel, PhD, 626-218-3452, ajgoel@coh.org

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, and early detection is critical for improving patient outcomes. Despite this, reliable non-invasive biomarkers for early-stage HCC are limited.

This study seeks to develop a multi-omics-based liquid biopsy assay, especially focusing on ncRNAs (e.g. tsRNA, miRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, etc.) for accurate detection of early-stage HCC.

Read the detailed description

Liver cancer is a major global health challenge, ranking as the 5th leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and 3rd worldwide, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounting for ~75% of cases. Incidence has more than tripled since 1980, and death rates have risen by ~2% annually, highlighting the need for improved detection and treatment. Prognosis remains poor: over 50% of HCC cases are diagnosed at stage IV, with a 1-year survival below 30%, whereas early-stage HCC (stages I-II) can achieve up to 74% 5-year survival with curative interventions. Major risk factors include viral hepatitis (HBV, HCV), alcohol abuse, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with non-viral HCC increasing in prevalence, particularly in Western countries. Screening programs target high-risk populations but miss many asymptomatic or average-risk individuals, contributing to late-stage diagnoses.

Biomarker discovery holds promise for improving early detection. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), the most widely used biomarker, has limited sensitivity for early-stage HCC (39-64%).

This study seeks to validate a panel of more accurate and non-invasive biomarkers in preoperative blood samples. Accurate early detection of HCC would help provide clear criteria for treatment decisions, such as timely surgical intervention or the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Being tested
Small RNA sequence, Rt-qPCR
Keywords
HCC, Liver cancer, tsRNA, Liquid Biopsy, Early Detection
Medical subject headings
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular, Liver Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Small RNA sequenceDiagnostic test

    Comprehensive small RNA sequencing of serum or plasma-derived cf-tsRNAs to identify candidate biomarkers distinguishing HCC from NDC.

  • Rt-qPCRDiagnostic test

    Construction of integrated cf- tsmiRNAs diagnostic classifier using machine learning

  • Rt-qPCRDiagnostic test

    PCR-based validation of the tsRNA panel

Study groups in NCT07265271
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
HCC (Discovery, Small RNA-seq)Patient diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, including cases with HBV-, HCV-, and NBNC-related etiologies. Blood or other biospecimens will be collected for multi-omics profiling
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Small RNA sequence; Diagnostic Test: Rt-qPCR
Chronic Liver Disease (CLD) cohortPatients with chronic liver disease, including liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, without evidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Blood or other biospecimens will be collected for multi-omics profiling.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Small RNA sequence; Diagnostic Test: Rt-qPCR
Healthy ControlsHealthy individuals without known liver disease or malignancy who will provide blood or other biospecimens as normal controls for biomarker evaluation.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Small RNA sequence; Diagnostic Test: Rt-qPCR

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Diagnostic performance of the integrated multi-omics signature for hepatocellular carcinoma detection

    To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the model for distinguishing patients with hepatocellular carcinoma from chronic liver disease and healthy controls, as assessed by the area under the operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity.

    Measured: At the baseline

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Validation of the diagnostic model in independent cohorts

    To assess the reproducibility and generalizability of the diagnostic model using independent validation cohorts.

    Measured: At the baseline

  2. Identification of etiology-associated omics profiles in hepatocellular carcinoma

    To characterize differences in omics patterns among HBV-, HCV-, and NBNC-related hepatocellular carcinoma cases, using integrated high-throughput multi-omics analysis.

    Measured: At the baseline

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 Dec 2025
  2. Study start15 Jan 2025
  3. Primary completion18 Jun 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completion18 Jun 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrolment
600 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07265271
Sponsor's protocol ID
23228/CENTINEL
Acronym
CENTINEL
Status last verified
Jun 2026
First submitted
24 Nov 2025
Last updated
1 Jul 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Data collected for the study will be made available to others, including de-identified participant data, at publication, via a signed data access agreement and at the discretion of the investigators' approval of the proposed use of such data.

Publications

  • Shao Y, Yu X, Zhou W, Yan J, Dong H, Ye G. Biological roles and potential clinical value of tRNA-derived small RNAs in gastrointestinal malignancies. Ann Med. 2025 Dec;57(1):2566866. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2025.2566866. Epub 2025 Oct 9.

    PubMed 41069160
  • Mao M, Chen W, Huang X, Ye D. Role of tRNA-derived small RNAs(tsRNAs) in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumours. Cell Commun Signal. 2023 Jul 21;21(1):178. doi: 10.1186/s12964-023-01199-w.

    PubMed 37480078
  • Lee S, Kim J, Valdmanis PN, Kim HK. Emerging roles of tRNA-derived small RNAs in cancer biology. Exp Mol Med. 2023 Jul;55(7):1293-1304. doi: 10.1038/s12276-023-01038-5. Epub 2023 Jul 10.

    PubMed 37430089
  • Zhou M, He X, Zhang J, Mei C, Zhong B, Ou C. tRNA-derived small RNAs in human cancers: roles, mechanisms, and clinical application. Mol Cancer. 2024 Apr 15;23(1):76. doi: 10.1186/s12943-024-01992-2.

    PubMed 38622694
  • Yuan J, Gu WC, Xu TX, Shen XJ, Li X, Shen L, Zhang Y, Ju SQ. 5'-transfer RNA halve-lysine-CTT as a promising biomarker for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Oncol. 2025 Nov 15;17(11):111142. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i11.111142.

    PubMed 41281472
  • Sauzay C, Petit A, Bourgeois AM, Barbare JC, Chauffert B, Galmiche A, Houessinon A. Alpha-foetoprotein (AFP): A multi-purpose marker in hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Chim Acta. 2016 Dec 1;463:39-44. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2016.10.006. Epub 2016 Oct 11.

    PubMed 27732875
  • Llovet JM, Kelley RK, Villanueva A, Singal AG, Pikarsky E, Roayaie S, Lencioni R, Koike K, Zucman-Rossi J, Finn RS. Hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021 Jan 21;7(1):6. doi: 10.1038/s41572-020-00240-3.

    PubMed 33479224
  • Xing H, Zheng YJ, Han J, Zhang H, Li ZL, Lau WY, Shen F, Yang T. Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II versus alpha-fetoprotein in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int. 2018 Dec;17(6):487-495. doi: 10.1016/j.hbpd.2018.09.009. Epub 2018 Sep 15.

    PubMed 30257796
  • Choi JY, Jung SW, Kim HY, Kim M, Kim Y, Kim DG, Oh EJ. Diagnostic value of AFP-L3 and PIVKA-II in hepatocellular carcinoma according to total-AFP. World J Gastroenterol. 2013 Jan 21;19(3):339-46. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i3.339.

    PubMed 23372355
  • Xu J, Chen B, Qi J, Wu J, Feng W, Jin K, Bao H, Chen L, Wang F. Evaluation of serum hsa_tsr014055 as a potential biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Med. 2025 Dec;57(1):2528978. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2025.2528978. Epub 2025 Jul 6.

    PubMed 40618217
  • Jin K, Wu J, Yang J, Chen B, Xu J, Bao H, Zong W, Xie C, Chen L, Wang F. Identification of serum tsRNA-Thr-5-0015 and combined with AFP and PIVKA-II as novel biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 21;14(1):28834. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-80592-y.

    PubMed 39572775

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), run by City of Hope Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Goel Ajay, PhD (626-218-3452, ajgoel@coh.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Diagnostic performance of the integrated multi-omics signature for hepatocellular carcinoma detection (time frame: At the baseline). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07265271, which also lists 11 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Jul 2026.

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